How about a new political movement?

Maybe it's time to have a new political movement called , "Grow up, America."  This would be dedicated to the idea that taxes should not go below a certain point because if we are going to have safe food, roads, a good public education system, social security, health care, if we are not going to allow people to starve to death, if we are going have jails, and, of course, armies, then we are going to have to pay for these things.Maybe we could even have a research group that estimates the minimal amounts theses things will cost.  Or better the minimum and then quality improvements.  We might even agree that some things are best done by government.

Rand. Thot--just a story

Several weeks ago our intercom went out.  It was fairly new and should not have quit.  Meanwhile I was annoyed because it makes it harder to get hold of John when I want him (always for good purposes, of course).  I could have looked up the paperwork and contacted the dealer, but I had it mind to get him to do that.  Meanwhile the sump pump went began to short out its circuit and desiring to check the circuit, John plugged it into another circuit and blew that.  Definitely not the circuit.  Bad pump--and it was only five years old.  Now the electricity was off in the bathroom.  That got our attention.  He called the plumber and set about resetting circuits but could not find any that were tripped.  "There's a box in the basement," I reminded him so he went to it and now there is electricity in the bathroom.  This morning the intercom came on.  "How did you fix it," I asked.

"Well," he said, "I walked by and saw that the clock was working so I turned it on."

I am so glad I did not get him to "fix" the intercom.

Travel--Tokyo

Here is Tokyo as seen from a park.  No particular importance--just trying it out

Pastiche and fun

We went to an Episcopal church in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, last night to enjoy a genuine pastiche--not a pasta but a performance of an "opera" composed of bits and pieces of songs composed for other occasions, called Amor & Psyche and performed by a group calling themselves opera feroce.  Sung by Beth Anne Hatton (Psyche), Hayden DeWitt (Amor) and Alan Dornak (rather a lot of people).  That is a mezzo, a soprano and a countertenor. Plus a trio playing period instruments with brio.  They were lovely and brilliant and great fun performing seventeenth and eighteenth century music that is rarely heard.  AND there are two more performances Sunday, Nov. 14 at Church of the Good Shepherd on Roosevelt Island (2:30 p.m.) and Thursday, Dec. 16 at St. Stephen and St. Martin's Church in Brooklyn (7:30).

Women and stock ownership

In 1982 women owned 40% of stocks.  Today it is about 60%.  Thus women need to understand stock voting and related issues of stock ownership and management.

A second speaker noted that access to money is access to power.  Women definitely have more trouble accessing money that men.  Women don't like debt, but a business cannot grow without it.  A particular barrier comes when businesses grow beyond $250,000 in annual revenues. At that point an owner has to let go--she has to allow others to be responsible for parts of the business.  Women need to think ahead, to have a five year plan and a sense of what they have to do to get to their goal.

Go, women, go!

women and business

Today I heard two women speak on the challenges of being women business owners.  One pointed out that there are ten million women owning business with at least $250,000 in annual revenue but only three hundred with revenues of two million or more.  Every extra million in revenue adds four jobs to the economy.  These second stage businesses (male or female-owned) are the key to economic improvement.  More later.